Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Breastfeed Med. 2022 May;17(5):453-458. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2021.0301. Epub 2022 Feb 15.
Improving breastfeeding rates among African American (AA) families is an important public health goal. Breastfeeding self-efficacy, a known predictor of breastfeeding behavior, has seldom been assessed among AAs, in relation to breastfeeding intensity (% breastfeeding relative to total feeding) or as a protective factor in combating the historical breastfeeding challenges faced by people of color. We aimed to test the association between breastfeeding self-efficacy assessed during pregnancy and breastfeeding intensity assessed in the early postpartum period. This was a secondary data analysis of a randomized controlled feasibility trial of breastfeeding support and postpartum weight management. AA women were recruited during pregnancy from a prenatal clinic in Detroit, MI. Data presented, in this study, were collected at enrollment ( = 50) and ∼6 weeks postpartum ( = 31). Linear regression models were used, adjusting for potential confounders. There were no differences in breastfeeding intensity by study arm; data are from all women with complete data on targeted variables. Age ranged from 18 to 43 years, 52% were Women, Infant's, and Children program enrollees, and 62% had ≥ some college. Breastfeeding self-efficacy during pregnancy was a significant predictor of breastfeeding intensity in the early postpartum period ( = 0.125, < 0.05) with only slight attenuation in the fully adjusted model ( = 0.123, < 0.05). Our results confirm that self-efficacy is an important predictor of breastfeeding practice. Furthermore, the simple act of assessing breastfeeding self-efficacy permits an opportunity for women to reflect on breastfeeding possibilities, and can inform individualized confidence-building interventions to improve the disproportionately low breastfeeding rates among AAs. Clinical Trial Registration number NCT03480048.
提高非裔美国人（AA）家庭的母乳喂养率是一个重要的公共卫生目标。母乳喂养自我效能感是母乳喂养行为的一个已知预测因素，但在 AA 人群中，很少针对母乳喂养强度（相对于总喂养量的母乳喂养百分比）或作为对抗有色人种历史上母乳喂养挑战的保护因素来评估母乳喂养自我效能感。我们旨在测试怀孕期间评估的母乳喂养自我效能感与产后早期评估的母乳喂养强度之间的关联。这是一项母乳喂养支持和产后体重管理的随机对照可行性试验的二次数据分析。AA 女性在密歇根州底特律的产前诊所怀孕期间招募。本研究中提出的数据是在入组时（ = 50）和产后约 6 周（ = 31）收集的。使用线性回归模型，调整了潜在的混杂因素。研究臂之间的母乳喂养强度没有差异；数据来自所有具有目标变量完整数据的女性。年龄在 18 至 43 岁之间，52%的人参加了妇女、婴儿和儿童计划，62%的人至少有大学学历。怀孕期间的母乳喂养自我效能感是产后早期母乳喂养强度的一个重要预测因素（ = 0.125， < 0.05），在完全调整后的模型中仅略有减弱（ = 0.123， < 0.05）。我们的结果证实，自我效能感是母乳喂养实践的一个重要预测因素。此外，评估母乳喂养自我效能感的简单行为为女性提供了反思母乳喂养可能性的机会，并可以为提高 AA 中不成比例的低母乳喂养率提供个性化的信心建立干预措施。临床试验注册号 NCT03480048。
